Larksfield Place First in Kansas to Achieve Gold Level Certification as a Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® Community
Larksfield Place is the first and only facility in Kansas to join an exclusive group of credentialed senior living communities that have implemented a revolutionary Montessori-based approach to memory care.
The team at Larksfield Place is devoted to building a Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® for their community, earning them the highest Gold Level credential. The MIL program was created by the Center for Applied Research in Dementia (CARD) after one of its founders, Dr. Cameron Camp, adapted Dr. Maria Montessori’s principles for older adults with dementia. Guided by CARD, staff learned how to implement the Montessori principles of equality, dignity, and respect into their community. Staff were trained to empower residents with memory impairment to be as independent as possible. This is achieved through tapping into each resident’s remaining strengths, designing environments they can thrive in, and helping them find purposeful activities and meaningful roles within their community.
Communities effectively using Montessori principles benefit from healthier and happier residents, fewer drugs, fewer responsive behaviors, more satisfied families, and better staffing and census (Witt-Hoblit, Miller, & Camp, 2016).
Gold Level organizations have resident-led committees, multidisciplinary Learning Circles, effective signage and environmental cues, personalization of resident spaces, and many other milestones. In addition, they have demonstrated at least one innovative achievement in applying MIL principles and have attended additional hours of advanced online learning in MIL from CARD, among other exemplary achievements.
“It’s something we all can be proud of – having a Montessori program that continues to elevate its care for our residents living with dementia. Our Assisted Living/Memory Support team also spreads the training and benefits to all of us to put into practice at every level of care. Having a ‘culture’ of awareness about living with memory loss is a meaningful and helpful goal of Larksfield.” – Mike Hambley, CEO, Larksfield Place
